Are You Comfortable or Comfort-able?

We all love to be comfortable. Who wouldn’t want be sitting on a soft cushioned chair with a cozy blanket and fluffy slippers right about now. Or maybe it’s emotional ease we desire: no stress or strife, smooth sailing in our relationships, peace and contentment in all areas of our lives. But we live in the real world where those situations and conditions tend to be few and far between. Thankfully, we have an awesome God who gives us His Comforter (the Holy Spirit) at conversion, and desires to comfort us. But the reason He does the latter might be surprising. According to II Corinthians 1:3-4…

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (ESV)

I love the no-exceptions, all-encompassing comfort our Lord bestows upon us. But it’s not just to help us feel better. He makes us comfortable so that we can be comfort-able or have the ability to bring comfort to others. Isn’t that just like our Heavenly Father? Whatever gifts or blessings He bestows upon us, aren’t supposed to be just for us, but also to pass along to others. So if you have received Christ’s comfort, then you are comfort-able.

Just something I’m marveling at along the way.